1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to GPS receiving apparatus, a method of controlling GPS receiving unit, and a controlling program, for giving notice of a current position a predetermined course to a user who jogs or runs along the predetermined course.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent, those who incorporate jogging into their daily routine or participate actively in marathons and enjoy running are increasing. Meanwhile, small-size electronic devices are widely known among those runners, which devices are used to record the running course and marked time.
Some small-size electronic devices are provided with GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, which can detect a current position with a comparatively high degree of accuracy.
But general-used GPS receivers consume much energy, and therefore it is not appropriate to incorporate such GPS receiver in small-size devices of a wristwatch type for the runners, which are required to work with less power consumption.
From the standpoint of less power consumption in GPS apparatuses, an intermittent data-receiving method of receiving positioning data intermittently is proposed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11-295410. This data-receiving method uses a quiescent-period setting table, which sets previously quiescent periods in receiving operation of an apparatus in accordance with a moving rate and moving distance of a moving body, reducing power consumption by the apparatus and calculating an exact track of the moving body.
Further, a positioning apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-038993, which apparatus receives positioning data intermittently to detect the current position of a moving body. The faster the moving body moves, the shorter cycles the positioning apparatus receives the positioning data, whereby the current position of the moving body can be detected always at the most suitable distance interval.
Various conventional techniques have been proposed, for enhancing power-saving by receiving positioning data of the moving body intermittently depending on the moving rate and/or moving distance of the moving body. ALL of the conventional techniques are used to calculate a precise position of the moving body from the positioning data, but are not appropriate for the devices of a wristwatch type to be used by runners, because the devices of a wristwatch type are required to calculate passing positions along a predetermined running course with a high degree of accuracy, using less driving power.
The present invention has been made to solve disadvantages involve in the conventional techniques and provides GPS receiving apparatus, a method of controlling GPS receiving unit, and a controlling program, for detecting passing positions with a high degree of accuracy and enhancing energy-conservation.